Notebook



J. A. YERKES Jan. 19, 1965 NOTEBOOK 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 28, 1962 INVENTOR JOHN A.Y E R KE 8 BY Mm? 4 ATTQRNE s J. A. YERKES Jan. 19, 1965 NOTEBOOK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 28, 1962 INVENTOR JOHN A.YERKES Work/,7 2L

Jan. 19, 1965 J. A. YERKES 3,166,342

NOTEBOOK Filed June 28, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR ATTO R N EY United States Patent 3,166,342 NOTEBOOK John A. Yerkes, New York, N .Y.; Gulda Morrison Yerkes, executrix of John A. Yerkes, deceased, assignor to Gulda Morrison Yerkes Filed June 28, 1962, Ser. No. 207,850 3 Claims. ((31. 281--33) This application is a continuation-in-part of application 193,408 filed May 9, 1962, now abandoned.

This invention relates to stenographers notebooks and the like having covers with built-in means adapting'the books to be set up as easels.

The prior art shows many devices such as clips which may be attached to notebooks to hold them in easel conformation, but such devices add to the cost and are easily misplaced. Other prior devices show easel means cut out of materials of the covers, as in the present invention, but such prior devices are fragile and easily rendered inoperative. One outstanding difficulty encountered by such devices is due to the fact that frequently in the life of such notebooks, the user applies pressure accidentally against the covers after the device has been erected as an easel, which will collapse the structure and will cause the usual connecting tongue to be folded and creased, there by destroying structural texture and the resilience needed to keep the parts in latched relationship. Thereafter such parts will become disengaged so readily as to discourage further use as an easel.

One of the objects of the invention is to incorporate in the notebook cover the means to enable setting up of the book so that the user can easily read the data on any selected page, and so that the page leaves on the covers can be written upon without deleterious effect.

A further objectof the invention is to construct the easel means so inexpensively as to enable its sale at a price which is competitive with ordinary books of this type.

- Another object of the invention is to harness the resilience of a latching tongue, as Well as the cover and the binding means, to assist in effecting latching engagement and to firmly keep the parts in latched relationship when required, the latching tongue being so arranged as to utilize the maximum structural strength thereof by stressing it laterally along its widest plane.

Another object of the invention is to arrange and pro portion the latching members relative to the cover and binding means, so that if the cover is accidentally collapsed when arranged in easel conformation or configuration, there will be no appreciable loss of resilience and effective structural strength and these elements will remain adequate to keep the latched members properly engaged. v

A further object of an alternate form of the device is to provide a structure in which the force of gravity assists and maintains latching, even after all structural strength and resilience of the parts has been destroyed by extreme mishandling and abuse.

A further object of an alternate form of the invention is to provide a structure in which the latching tongue engages the side edge of the opposite cover, thus eliminating the need for the usual mating slot and having the advantage that the included angle of the easel form is readily adjustable.

In one aspect of the invention, stenographers notebook, has a plurality of leaves with a pair of relatively ,thick covers, the covers usually being of cardboard or the like. A helical ring binder holds the leaves and covers together at one edge which may be designated as the upper edge. When notes in the book are being transcribed, it is placed in an easel conformation with the lower edges resting on a table. In order to the book, such as a 3,166,342 Patented .Ian. 19, 1965 "Ice hold the parts in such a position, a tongue is pierced from one of the covers such that it is hingedly carried thereby. A slot is formed or cut in the other cover arranged to receive a hook at the end of the tongue, the slot and tongue being displaced relative to each other so that when they are engaged, the hook will be urged into latching relationship. The lateral stress on the transverse section of the tongue and the resilience of the material will hold the parts in such a conformation.

The hook preferably is arranged so that it will enter the slot but the tongue adjacent thereto being wider than the adjacent portion cannot enter the slot.

The tongue is hinged so that when notes are to be taken, it can be reinserted or folded back into the pierced cavity of the cover. In this manner, the leaves can be written upon in the area of the tongue without difficulty.

In a preferred. form, the tongue axis is substantially perpendicular to the lower edge but in another form it may be substantially parallel to the bottom edge.

In another aspect of the invention, a latching tongue is provided which engages the side of the opposite cover, the tongue being displaced relative thereto.

Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will become evident from the following description and drawings which are merely exemplary.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention, erected in easel form, with the leaves lifted away and broken.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the covers, with the latching means disengaged and restored to inoperative position.

FIG, 3 is a side elevation of the device of FIGS. 1 and 2, erected in easel form.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the line44 of FIG. 3, with the bound leaves omitted for clarity.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a portion of the back cover showing a score-line in the tongue.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the front cover, showing an alternate form of tongue receiving slit which may be used instead of the slot of FIGS. 1 to 5, inclusive.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing how the tongue may fold and crease if the covers are deliberately or ac- ;identally urged toward each other while latched in easel orm.

FIG. 8 is a plan view, similar to FIG. 2, illustrating an alternate embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation of the device of FIG. 8 erected in easel form, with the bound leaves omitted for clarity.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 1414 of FIG. 13, with the bound leaves omitted for clarity.

FIG. 15 is a side elevation of the device of FIG. 12, erected in easel form, with the tongue swung downwardly so that the angle included between the covers is substantially smaller than in FIG. .13.

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary view of a' modification in a 9.9 which an open notch rather than a closed slot is shown in the front cover.

FIG. 17 is similar to FIG. 6 with an alternate tongue receiving slot.

A preferred embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1 through 4 which comp-rises a front cover 15 and a rear cover 16, both preferably formed of strong, resilient paperboard and bound together by means of a helical wire or similar binding means 17 near their respective ends 48 and 47. The usual notebook leaves 18 are bound 'between the covers in the same manner, and are preferably arranged to lie flat when notes are being applied and to hang loosely when the device is erected in easel conformation. Back cover 16 is pierced to form an integral latching tongue 19 which remains hingedly secured to the cover at unpierced portion 62.

Tongue 19 is positioned along the longitudinal centerline 28 of the covers, as shown in FIG. 2, having a left wall 21 and a right wall 22 preferably arranged symmetrically on both sides of the centerline. A hook member 59 (FIGS. 3, 4, is defined by a diagonal cut edge 23, a short transverse cut edge 24, a short parallel wall 25, two converging cut walls 26 and 27 which meet to form 8. preferably blunted tip 32.

Slot 20 is located in front cover near the lower end, spaced a substantial distance away from centerline 28. The height of the slot is preferably slightly greater than the thickness of the material of which tongue 15! and cover 16 are formed, so that hook 59 may easily enter slot 20. The width of slot is preferably slightly greater than the width between parallel walls and 22 of tongue 19, and is preferably substantially less in width than the distance between parallel walls 21 and 22 of tongue 19, so that no portion of the tongue above diagonally cut edge 23 may enter slot 20. q

A brief description of the operation at this point will facilitate the remainder of the disclosure. When it is desired to erect the device as an easel in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, hook 59 of tongue 19 is inserted into slot 20. Base end 45 of back cover 16 and base end 46 of front cover 15 rest firmly on any flat level surface, as in FIG. 3. Any selected leaf 18 may be displayed at an angle which permits easy reading and Without glare. The easel-like structure of the device is rigid and sturdy and is firmly latched with a tenacity hitherto not achieved in the art, for reasons which will now be explained.

As indicated above, slot 20 in front cover 15 is not located astride centerline 28 in the manner of tongue 19 of back cover 16, but is displaced substantially from the centerline, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. If slot 20 were exactly aligned with hook 59 of tongue 19, accidental disengagement would be quite easy and would frequently occur. The extent of the lateral displacement is governed by several important considerations. First, loose bindings of the helical wire type shown, as well as other equivalent types which permit the leaves to lie flat, necessarily have considerable play, so that there is virtually no resistance encountered when one cover is held and the other is shifted relatively laterally about one-half inch or so at the base end. This inherent free play is recognized and absorbed'by an equivalent lateral, elf-center displacement of s1ot20. In addition tothis allowance for the free slot 20 is further displaced so that before hook 59} may be inserted into the slot, substantial stresses are imposed on tongue 19, rear cover 16, binding means 17 and indirectly, by reaction, on front cover 15. Thus, resilience of all of these members contributes to snapping hook 59 into latched position in slot 20, when the hook is inserted manually and then released. Furthermore, sulficient additional resilience is provided to firmly hold the latched hook and slot in tight engagement, the hook being actively pressed against the end of the slot. This relationship is shown in FIG. 4 which is a section taken play in the binding means,

along line 44 of FIG. 3, with the leaves omitted. Centerline 28A (FIG. 4) represents the normal centerline, such as centerline 28 of FIG. 2, extending normally through the covers when they are laid fiat and not latched together. In FIG. 4, centerline 28A is centered only relativeto back cover 16 but, due to the substantial displacement of slotzh, front cover 15 is shown displaced rearwardly with all the play of the binding absorbed thereby; however, tongue 19 is still displaced forwardly. It should now be clear Why hook 59 snaps rearwardly in slot 2 1 when manually released, and that all structural elementsare still under stress after the mating parts are latched together, so that they are resiliently held in engagement. It also should be evident that appreciable force is required to manually disengage the latched parts, of value in avoiding accidental disengagement. Tongue 19 has maximum possible structural strength for its cross section by being flexed laterally in its flat plane, and in this respect it may be likened to the human finger which is structurally far more resistant to lateral flexing than vertical.

Devices of the type involved herein are usually erected in easel form on a crowded desk and are subject to being shifted or overturned in tight quarters, resulting in accidental pressure on the covers. Furthermore, a busy stenographer, responding to, a hasty summons to take dictation, may hurriedly grasp the book in the manner shown in FIG. 7, so that the structure is inadvertently collapsed, causing folding of tongue 19 and creasing it somewhat in the manner shown at 34 in the figure. In previous devices in. the art in which there is reliance on the rigidity and resilience of the finger or tongue against bending and folding over longitudinally, creasing in the manner mentioned above virtually des troys all of the required rigidity and resilience, so that the latched parts readily become accidentally disengaged. In the present device, however, such accidental creasing has no detrimental effect. As can be seen in FIG. 4, virtually the full lateral resilience'and structural strength in the plane of the surface of the tongue are retained, much in the manner of the human finger analogy pointed out above, in which although knuckle joints permit vertical flexing or bending without appreciable resistance, nevertheless there is strong resistance to wide lateral flexing, with excellent structural strength and resilience. In the present device, the only noticeable effect of such accidental creasing is a negligible decrease in the included angle between the covers when in easel conformation. Such accidental creasing of the tongue in no manner alfects the structural strength and resilience of the covers and the binding means which are here also harnessed to contribute to the latching effect.

Notwithstanding the disastrous effect of accidental creasing in devices of the prior art, so undisturbing is the creasing in the present device that in one form of the invention, as seen in FIG. 5, a score-line 33 is deliberately impressed transversely near the midpoint of tongue 19. The purpose of this score-line is that if the structure is accidentally collapsed as described, creasing will occur at the right point, as shown at 34 in FIG. 7. Numerous experiments have shown that an unscored tongue rarely tends to crease at the proper midpoint, and as the structure is collapsed farther and farther, the crease crawls until it finds the midpoint, with considerable damage to the fibrous structure of the tongue. The use of a scoreline 33 helps to assure proper folding and avoids the damage mentioned.

One of the principal features of the invention is seen in FIG. 11 which shows the book compactly folded in writing position. Tongue 19 (not shown) is safely nested into the blanked-out portion 31 (FIG. 1) of back cover 16, so that although but a single leaf 18 is located above back cover 16, there is no interference with the smooth gliding of the pencil 35. Similarly, even with a single sheet. above front cover 15, the slot 26 is so narrow that the paper makes a good bridge over the slot and there is no noticeable interference with smooth writing, unless, of course, extreme pressure, unusual in ordinary writing, is applied.

A completely smooth surface may be obtained by the use of an alternate slit 30, .as shown in FIG. 6. Such a slit would also tend to exert a gripping force on hook 59 of tongue 19, thus contributing to latching power, but obviously requiring additional eifort and some measure of dexterity for insertion or removal of hook 59.

As shown in FIG. 3, leaves 18, above front cover 15, bulge slightly due to the projection of hook 59. However, the protuberance is very small and unobjectionable since only hook 59 is small enough to enter slot 20, the rest of tongue 19 being too large to enter. If for any reason it is deemed desirable to reduce the projection, the alternative tongue 19 shown in FIG. can be used. The alternative tongue has a transverse score-line 43 across the narrowest portion, so that, if desired, the protruding hook 59 may be bent downwardly as shown at 44 in FIG. 3.

A further alternate embodiment of the device is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. A rear cover 36 is bound at one end 53 to an end 54 of a front cover 37. Near the base end 41 of back cover 36, and preferably parallel thereto, is a relatively short tongue 38 having a hook 39 which is similar to hook 59 previously described. Parallel to the left edge 58 of front cover 37 is a vertical slot 40. The distance between slot 40 and the base end 42 of front cover 37 is substantially greater than the distance between tongue 38 and base end 41 of back cover 36, and the distance between slot 40 and left edge 58 of front cover 37 is preferably substantially the same as the distance between left edge 56 of back cover 36 and the uncut hinged base 63 of tongue 38.

The latched relationship of the various elements shown in FIG. 8 is illustrated in FIG. 9, the included angle between the covers being substantially less than that of FIG. 3, due to the shorter length of transverse tongue 33 as compared with longitudinal tongue 19. The angle could be increased, however, by locating both the tongue and the slot closer to the binding means 17 but the lower position is deemed preferable because of greater structural rigidity.

As in the form shown in FIGS. 1 through 7, in order to effect latching, tongue 38 is displaced laterally along its wide plane, thus stressing the tongue, covers and binding means to cause hook 39 to snap firmly into engagement in slot 40 after manual insertion and release. Such will strongly hold the latched parts in engagement and will require substantial manual efiort to effect disengagement.

The form of FIGS. 8 and 9 differs in the respect that the covers are not laterally shifted relative to each other in the manner shown in FIG. 4 and further in the respeot that hook 39 tends to remain latched by gravity, an advantage which is of Value where the normal resilience of the parts is destroyed by extreme mishandling and abuse.

FIG. 8 shows a reinforcing means applicable to all forms of the device. Dotted outlines 6t) and 61 show one manner in which gummed cloth reinforcing material may be applied to the areas around the tongue and slot before the covers are pierced to form these parts.

A further alternate embodiment of the device is shown in FIGS. 12, 13, 14 and 15. A front cover 64 is bound at one end 76 to an end 69 of rear cover 65, and is formed with a right edge 71, a left edge 72 and a base end 73. Front cover 64 in this form does not have a slot such as previously described, the surface of front cover 64 being unbroken except for the binding holes for binding means 17.

Rear cover 65 has a base end 66, a right edge 67 and a left edge 68. Latching tongue 75 is positioned with its right wall 74 spaced a short distance from, and

cover 65, as indicated in the figure.

preferably parallel to, right edge 67 of rear cover 65. Parallel to right wall 74 is a left wall 78. The forward or latching end of tongue is formed to define a latching hook 76. At the base or uncut end of tongue 75 several transverse, slightly sloped score-lines are impressed, so that the hinging action is facilitated in this form.

FIG. 13 is a side elevation of the device of FIG. 12 erected in easel form, with tongue 75 latched in horizontal position with its hook 76 engaging right edge 71 of front cover 64. FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along the line 14-14 of FIG. 13. In a manner similar to that previously described relative to FIG. 4 with the exception that edge 71 is engaged by latching hook 76 rather than using a slot as in FIG. 4 to effect such latching, tongue 75 is manually pulled forwardly with substantial force. All the free play in the wire binding 17 is taken up, and the resilience of the tongue and both covers is harnessed as before described. The forces in volved are such as to cause substantial bowing of rear Front cover 64 is manually forced relatively rearwardly to enable latching the tongue, and is preferably kept in rearward position by pressure of tongue 75 after latching.

As shown in FIG. 13, when tongue 75 is latched in horizontal position, the included angle 84- is relatively large and could be somewhat larger if tongue 75 were swung slightly upwardly.

As shown in FIG. 15, when tongue 75 is swung downwardly to position 75' with edge 74 shifted to position 74, the included angle 84' is far smaller than angle 84 of FIG. 13. The arcuate path of tongue 75 is indicated in dotted lines at '79 and dotted are 81 which shows the movement of the point of engagement of hook 76 to its lower position at 76'.

In the form shown and described in FIGS. 12 to 15, there is complete adjustability of the included angle at the apex of the easel. The wide range of angles between that shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 15 enables the user to select any of an infinite number of increments to avoid annoying glare under various lighting conditions and to accommodate varying heights of desks, chairs and body height. The strong lateral pressure of the tongue against edge 71 of front cover 64, as above described, assures that the angular adjustment of tongue 75 will not easily be disturbed. However, it is within the scope of the invention to serrate, notch, roughen or otherwise treat edge 71 to increase the frictional engagement to assure against accidental displacement, if deemed necessary, or to modify the opening in hook 76 to form a frictional slit, for the same purpose.

Another advantage of the form of FIGS. 12 to 15 is that no notch or slot is cut into front cover 64. Additionally, such eliminates the cost of an operation in the manufacture, and the unbroken surface presents no impediment to writing, even with extreme pressure.

A still further advantage of the last mentioned form of the invention is that if the device is grasped in the manner shown in FIG. 7, that is, so as to collapse the easel structure, tongue 75 tends to automatically slide downwardly past the position shown in FIG. 15 and into completely folded position, without disengaging hook 76 from edge 71; and if covers 64 and 65 are now forced apart, tongue 75 will automatically slide upwardly and without disengaging the hook from the edge. Adjustment is thus rapidly and easily effected. Tongue 75 is of such length and is so positioned that even when the device is completely collapsed as described, hook 76 cannot reach base end 73 and become disengaged. Score-lines 77 are sloped so as to encourage proper folding of tongue 75 when the structure is fully collapsed as described.

A simple modification is shown in fragmentary FIG. 16 in which base end 46 of front cover 15 is notched as at rectangular notch 83. Such a notch could be substituted 47 for slot 20, FIG. 2, with all other parts unchanged. The tongue 19 is preferably urged against the left wall-32, with its hook 26 latched behind. Such a notch at the bottom of the front cover or onone of the edges could be deemed preferable to threading the tongue hook through a slot, in certain applications of the invention.

FIG. 17 shows another alternate construction which enables obtaining a smooth writing surface for front cover 15. In this form, the cover is pierced through at sides 85, 86 and 87 to form a flap 89 whose upper, edge is deeply scored as indicated by the broken line 88. When the user, following the printed directions on the flap, pushes the latter inwardly, it readily yields to uncover rectangular opening $6 for the reception of book 59 of tongue 19, for latching purposes. This construction of a rectangular opening with a flap heavily scored and hinged as shown, has been found to be especially advantageous in that it does not tend to interfere with the resilient latching action nor with intentional withdrawal of the hook from the slot, While enabling complete closing of the slot for smooth writing even with unusually heavy pressure.

It is deemed within the scope of the present invention tohave a single tongue and a multiplicity of slots parallel to each other and at diilerent levels, whereby the included angle may be adjusted at will, to suit the individual convenience or to avoid glare. It should be apparent that other variations may be made in details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention except as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed .is:

l. In a book stricture, the combination including two relatively thick covers and a multiplicity of relatively thin leaves, said covers and leaves being bound togetter at their upper edges, the covers being adapted to rest upon their lower edges in easel conformation so that any selected leaf may be displayed, a tongue hingedly connected to a first of said covers at a point substantially above said lower edges, said tongue being pierced from the first cover lying wholly Within the confines of and substantially along the longitudinal axis of said first cover and being formed at its unhinged end to define a hook member, and a second of said covers having a narrow transverse slot therein, said slot being laterally oilset relative to the longitudinal axis of said covers and said ton go, said hook member being adapted to be manually ins ted into said slot and to slide laterally into engagement. with the uncut wall of the second cover at the end of said slot so that said covers can be latched together in easel conformation, said tongue being stressed laterally when in latched position in said slot so as to apply stresses to said tongue, cover and binding means, whereby the hook of the tongue tends to move into engagement with the cover at the end of the slot toward which it is biased.

2. A device according tov claim 1 wherein the slot is normally closed by a tab means which is bendable relative to its cover to form a slot for reception of the hook of said tongue. 7

3. A book structure in accordance with claimv 1 wherein the tongue has a transverse score near its midpoint.

References tilted by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 594,591 11/97 Berry -1421 X 2,242,064 5/41 Gelinas 281-33 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,802 7/ 03 Great Britain.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH D. BEIN, Examiner. 

1. IN A BOOK STRUCTURE, THE COMBINATION INCLUDING TWO RELATIVELY THICK COVERS AND A MULTIPLICITY OF RELATIVELY THIN LEAVES, SAID COVERS AND LEAVES BEING BOUND TOGETHER AT THEIR UPPER EDGES, THE COVER BEING ADAPTED TO REST UPON THEIR LOWER EDGES IN EASEL CONFORMATION SO THAT ANY SELECTED LEAF MAY BE DISPLAYED, A TONGUE HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO A FIRST OF SAID COVERS AT A POINT SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE SAID LOWER EDGES, SAID TONGUE BEING PIERCED FROM THE FIRST COVER LYING WHOLLY WITHIN THE CONFINES OF AND SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID FIRST COVER AND BEING FORMED AT ITS UNHINGED END TO DEFINE A HOOK MEMBER, AND A SECOND OF SAID COVERS HAVING A NARROW TRANSVERSE SLOT THEREIN, SAID SLOT BEING LATERALLY OFFSET RELATIVE TO THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF SAID COVERS AND SAID TONGUE, SAID HOOK MEMBER BEING ADAPTED TO BE MANUALLY INSERTED INTO SAID SLOT AND TO SLIDE LATERALLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE UNCUT WALL OF THE SECOND COVER AT THE END OF SAID SLOT SO THAT SAID COVERS CAN BE LATCHED TOGETHER IN EASEL CONFORMATION, SAID TONGUE BEING STRESSED LATERALLY WHEN IN LATCHED POSITION IN SAID SLOT SO AS TO APPLY STRESSES TO SAID TONGUE, COVER AND BINDING MEANS, WHEREBY THE HOOK OF THE TONGUE TENDS TO MOVE INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COVER AT THE END OF THE SLOT TOWARD WHICH IT IS BIASED. 